But they now want to change it as one company is keen to get on site as soon as possible.

Salford council confirmed that Peel has submitted an application to vary two conditions of that outline planning permission.

These relate to Condition 9 that the rail link should be in place before any businesses start to operate from the site and Condition 10 that the new road leading to the site, going underneath Barton Bridge, be completed before any businesses start to operate from the site.

Peel are asking for these conditions to be amended so that one business can operate from the site before these are completed, and a detailed application has been submitted for the building that business would occupy.

The applications are likely to go to a Salford council planning panel in March for a decision.

Peel declined to comment.

A public exhibition will be staged by Peel this Friday at the AJ Bell rugby stadium in Barton to outline plans for the first phase of the Port Salford project.

This will include a new logistics warehouse creating 280 jobs. The public can visit between 1pm and 7pm.

Barton councillor John Mullen and Irlam councillor Roger Jones have written to the town hall opposing Peel’s application. Irlam and Cadishead Labour Party is also opposing the application.

Councillor Jones said: “Peel have told us they are having problems with the rail link but still want to go ahead with opening the first phase of the development.

“But what we don’t want is busy local roads cluttered with trucks because the infrastructure has not been put in place.”

In an email to Coun Jones, David Rankin, Community Relations Executive of Network Rail, says: “Any delay to the Port Salford scheme is not entirely due to Network Rail. We are still waiting for Peel to sign the agreement for us to progress the project.

“The Port Salford Rail connection is an outside party funded scheme (by Peel) so timescales are largely dependent on them.

"Timescales have yet to be agreed with Peel but the commissioning of the rail connection does have to tie in with other planne d in the vicinity. Therefore completion date is likely to be post 2017.”